The Suzuki Swift has shed its one-star safety rating following safety upgrades for models landing in Australia imminently, but its new, higher rating won’t push local prices up.
Safety authority ANCAP has lifted the Swift a full two stars higher after the city-sized hatchback was reassessed under the latest 2023-2025 ANCAP testing protocols.
The current fourth-generation Swift went on sale in Australia in 2024 with fewer safety features than the version sold in Europe, which saw ANCAP apply a one-star rating for the 2024 model year.
This included a 47 per cent score for adult occupant protection, 54 per cent for safety assist, and 59 per cent for child occupant protection. However, its vulnerable road user protection result was a commendable 76 per cent.
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In Europe, it achieved a three-star rating – which saw a 67 per cent adult occupant score, 62 per cent safety assist score and 65 per cent child occupant protection result – and the same 76 per cent vulnerable road user figure.
That set of numbers – apart from the safety assist category, which only improved to 55 per cent – is applicable to new Australian-market Swifts manufactured from August 2025, due in showrooms from this month.
“The updated ANCAP three-star rating reflects changes to the Australian-spec Swift, which now incorporates the same safety reinforcements as the Euro-spec model,” a Suzuki Australia spokesperson told CarExpert.
“The Euro spec vehicle included additional front-end reinforcements that were not present in the earlier Australian-spec version. These reinforcements have now been applied to Australian models.”
ANCAP had dinged the Swift for the absence of absorption bars around the radiator and on either side of the wheel arch when it was initially tested.
Suzuki Australia said the upgrades came after the local arm looked to align its products with Euro-spec vehicles – and not due to pressure from ANCAP. It also confirmed there are no changes to pricing for the upgraded hatch.
While the improvement is commendable, the Swift still lacks features such as a centre airbag which would improve its ANCAP rating further. Suzuki Australia told CarExpert it has no specific plans to add features to the current model.
The previous generation Swift had a five-star ANCAP rating for models sold between June 2017 and July 2024, though this was under older, less rigorous testing protocols.
In the segment the current Swift competes in, the rival Mazda 2 is unrated – the current generation now being more than 10 years old – with its previous five-star rating expiring in 2022.
ANCAP ratings have a six-year expiry to provide a more accurate comparison between vehicles as testing protocols change.
Alongside the Swift, the MG 3 has also had an upgrade to four stars – previously three – but this still leaves the Toyota Yaris as the only five-star rated car in the segment, albeit with a 2020 date stamp.
Suzuki currently has no vehicles with current ANCAP ratings, including its recently launched Fronx crossover SUV, a Kia Stonic and Hyundai Venue competitor. Ratings for the Vitara and Jimny have now expired.
Production of the Ignis, S-Cross and Swift Sport ended for Australia earlier this year as they didn’t meet a new Australian Design Rule (ADR) mandating specific technical requirements for autonomous emergency braking, which came into effect on March 1, 2025.
This ADR also forced Suzuki to cease importing the three-door Jimny, of which an updated version – that will be compliant with the new regulations – is due during the first quarter of 2026.
It’s set to receive additional safety equipment to match the five-door Jimny XL, which has yet to be assessed by ANCAP.
